Fans around the world adore the bestselling No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series and its proprietor, Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s premier lady detective. In this charming series, Mma Ramotswe—with help from her loyal associate, Grace Makutsi—navigates her cases and her personal life with wisdom, good humor, and the occasional cup of tea.

In this installment in the charming, bestselling series, Precious Ramotswe faces two confounding cases: the mysterious fate of some cows, and the ghost-like reappearance of her dear old white van.

As Mma Ramotswe investigates the deaths of cows at a cattle post outside Gaborone, she finds herself also pursuing other mysteries closer to home. One of Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni’s apprentices appears to have gotten a girl pregnant, and has run away to avoid marrying her. Meanwhile, Precious sees her beloved old van—sent to the junkyard long ago—trundling around the city again. Has the van been miraculously revived, or is she hallucinating? Further complicating matters are Violet Sephotho’s newly launched campaign for a seat in Botswana’s parliament, and Grace Makutsi’s growing fears that she’ll never be able to marry her fiancé Phuti Radiphuti if she can’t find the perfect pair of wedding shoes. As ever, Precious will draw on her trademark grace and wisdom as she helps unravel all these tangled threads.

Praise

“This is Mr. McCall Smith at his benevolent best.”—The Washington Times

“A visit with a cast of characters who seem like old and cherished friends.” —St. Petersburg Times

“Charming and hilarious. . . . McCall Smith’s world is . . . a sweet and timeless bubble with its own morality, language, and customs. Entering it can be a source of great comfort.” —The Seattle Times“Mma Ramotswe’s fictional adventures and the lives of her fellow characters weave together like the intricate patterns of baskets. . . . Readers will come home from The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party well fed, well danced, and well hoping that Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi will be back.” —Sacramento Book Review

“[McCall Smith] again makes the sublime look easy. . . . [He] has few peers in capturing the quiet moments of people’s lives, and his empathetic lead has one of the biggest hearts in modern literature.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Endearing, amusing . . . sparkles with African sunshine and wit.” —The Dallas Morning News“Irresistible.” —The New York Times Book Review“Utterly charming and compulsively readable.” —Newsweek

“The pleasure of these sweet books lies in the clarity and gravity with which the characters reason through everyday dilemmas.” —Entertainment Weekly

“A potent mix of charm and whimsy.” —The Christian Science Monitor

“There is no murder, no international complications, no thrill a minute. Instead, the pace is slow, the geography appreciated in a quiet way, the small details celebrated—that is the pleasure of this series. All we need is a cup of red bush tea to complete the picture.” —San Jose Mercury News